We’ve all had at least one in our lifetime. Sometimes they sneak up on us and catch us unaware, while others we know we’ve done something to cause, and then it’s just a waiting game until it arrives.

Some of us suffer daily while others seem almost immune. In any case, a headache is more a pain in the butt than it is anywhere else.

The word “headache” is more an umbrella term for a pain in the neck or head, but there are many types of this pain with a number of causes. Physical trauma, injury, posture, allergies, alcohol, and stress are just a few of the reasons people suffer from headaches.

One of the main reasons for headaches is muscle pain or spasms. These tension headaches are usually felt in the back of the neck, around the head, in the forehead, and if you are unlucky enough, in all three places.

Although the cause is muscle tension, the initiating factor may be any of a number of things. Physical injury, overuse, posture, and stress are just a few of the triggers for a headache. Most of the time, these triggers affect the muscles of the upper back and neck.

So why is pain felt in the forehead or temples? The answer is referral pain. When a muscle starts to spasm, we get a knot in it (a trigger point, in massage therapy terms). This trigger point, however, can refer pain to other areas of the body. For example, there are tiny muscles at the top of the back of the neck that can cause pressure over the eyes, the forehead headache.

Migraines are the second most common headache, but with the most severe symptoms. Severe sufferers are unable to function with a migraine headache and lock themselves in a room with no light or noise. We know that migraines result from disturbances in blood flow through the arteries in the head but research is still out on the cause of this disturbance.

Some theories point at allergic or hormonal triggers. Stress, fatigue, diet, and family history seem to be predisposing factors.

With a migraine, initially the blood vessels constrict causing visual disturbances (the aura). Following this is a dilation of these vessels, usually anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour after. With the rapid influx of blood to the head comes the throbbing, painful headache.

Studies have shown that with migraines, there is a spasm of the tiny muscles of the posterior neck that can be treated with massage therapy and thus reduce the intensity of the headache.

Sinus headaches result from inflammation of the sinuses. The sinus is an air cavity within the skull lined by a mucus membrane. When infected, the mucus membrane becomes inflamed, resulting in an increase in the fluid production of the membrane as well as a possible blockage for this fluid to drain.

This causes a buildup of fluid in the sinus. The building pressure within the sinus results in a headache. Massage therapists can utilize a sinus drainage technique that removes the buildup and reduces the pressure.

For most individuals, the first line of attack is medications such as anti-inflammatories. More natural types of treatment may involve the use of hot and cold packs to improve circulation, which is effective when used appropriately.